ZORA and The Blackness present Moonrakers 2020

Maxine Waters’s “Reclaiming My Time” Is More Than a Tagline

The unflappable congresswoman shows us all how to fight the good fight with grace and grit

Illustration: Sheeba Maya

By Rep. Ayanna Pressley as told to Erika Alexander

In 2018, Ayanna Pressley made history and became the first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. With her arrival to Washington, D.C., she joined the largest, diverse wave of legislators in Congress’ history. Pressley’s charisma and modern style was further displayed when she became part of the outlier team of four freshmen congresswomen self-dubbed “The Squad.” We asked Pressley about her thoughts on another superstar in the House, California’s 43rd District Rep. Maxine Waters.

Erika Alexander: Maxine Waters is my congresswoman. I live in her district in Los Angeles, and I admire her work and tenacity. As a freshman in Congress, how has she inspired you?